Jump to content

Wiśniowiecki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For individual family members, seeWiśniowiecki (surname).
Wiśniowiecki
Parent houseHouse of Zbaraski
CountryPolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Founded15th century
1669 Free election
FounderMichał Zbaraski Wiśniowecki
Current headNone, Extinct
Final rulerMichael I of Poland
TitlesKing of Poland
Grand Duke of Lithuania
Grand Duke of Ruthenia
Grand Duke of Prussia
Grand Duke of Masovia
Grand Duke of Samogitia
Grand Duke of Livonia
Grand Duke of Smolensk
Grand Duke of Kiev
Grand Duke of Volhynia
Grand Duke of Podolia
Grand Duke of Podlasie
Grand Duke of Severia
Grand Duke of Chernihiv
Voivode of Belz
Voivode of Ruthenia
Koniuszy
KingMichael I
Jeremi Wiśniowiecki
Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki

TheHouse of Wiśniowiecki(Ukrainian:Вишневецькі,romanized:Vyshnevetski;Lithuanian:Višnioveckiai) was aPolish-Lithuanianprincely family of Ruthenian-Lithuanian origin, notable in the history of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.They were powerfulmagnateswith estates predominantly in theRuthenianlands of theCrown of the Kingdom of Poland,and they used thePolish coat of armsofKorybut.

The family is acadet branchof theHouse of Zbaraski.

History

[edit]

The family tradition would trace their descent to theGediminids,but modern historians believe there is more evidence for them to have descended from theRurikids.[1]According to the Gediminids relation theory, the ancestor of the family was DukeKaributas(Ruthenian:Dymitr Korybut),[2]a son of theGrand Duke of Lithuania,Algirdas.Kaributas was stripped of the Duchy ofSeveriaand transferred toVolhyniaandPodoliawhere he was given to govern cities ofVinnytsiaandKremenets,andZbarazhas a private estate.[2]At first Zbarazh was inherited by Ivan, but in 1434 it was passed on to the second son of Korybut Fedor ofNieśwież.[2]The latter became a progenitor of such princely families like Porycki, Woronecki, Zbaraski.[2]In the 15th century Wiśniowiecki family split away fromHouse of Zbaraski.[2]

The family place was city of Wiśniowiec (nowVyshnivets).[1][2]At first Wiśniowiecki estates were located predominantly inVolhynia,but since 1580s also included onleft-bank Ukrainein a region aroundLubny,Romny,others that in the past belonged to the princes Glinski and Daumantas.[2]

From their days as Ruthenian nobility, they held the title ofKniaz(prince). By the late 16th century, the family converted fromOrthodoxtoCatholicismand becamePolonized.[1]They gained much importance in thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth,with vast possessions in the 16th to 18th centuries on the territories of today'sUkraine,particularly the town ofVyshnivets(Wiśniowiec). Their estates were so vast and their position so powerful that they were known as the most powerful ofmagnates– the "kinglings" or "kinglets" ("królewięta"). Their ancestral seat was theVyshnivets Castle.

The family's golden age was the 17th century, when its members accumulated much wealth and influence, held numerous important posts within the Commonwealth.[1]Likely the most notable members of this family wereMichael I,king of PolandandGrand Duke of Lithuaniafrom 1669 to 1673,[1]his fatherJeremi Wiśniowiecki,as well asDmytro Vyshnevetskywho was an important Cossack leader.

Coat of arms

[edit]

The coat of arms of the House of Wiśniowiecki was theKorybut coat of arms.

Notable family members

[edit]
Possessions of Wiśniowiecki family are marked in red
[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdeJerzy Jan Lerski; Piotr Wróbel; Richard J. Kozicki (1996).Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966-1945.Greenwood Publishing.p. 654.ISBN978-0-313-26007-0.
  2. ^abcdefgMytsyk, Yu.Vyshnevetski.Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine.
  3. ^"Kniaziowie Wiśniowieccy".
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toWiśniowiecki.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wiśniowiecki&oldid=1242448448"